Peruvian Roast Chicken with Aji Verde Chili Sauce

Knowing how risk averse I am when it comes to trying new recipes, I was rather surprised that I made this Peruvian Roast Chicken. But hey, it's chicken. I'll go anywhere with chicken.

Honestly, it was that big juicy chicken thigh on page 200 of Nom Nom Paleo : Food for Humans that got me interested. Here, see for yourself.

And that Aji Verde Chili Sauce is a curious thing. Green minty sauce. Nope, I have never had anything like that before.

Aji Verde Chili Sauce. I love the color.

For such an exotic recipe, the ingredients are easily available right here in my kitchen. Among the marinade ingredients are black pepper, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano. I got to work immediately as soon as I laid my hands on a chicken. My only regret is that the chicken was small. It didn't look that small at the supermarket.

I did not have dried oregano but I have fresh ones in my garden. So I just minced the oregano and mixed it all up with the other ingredients. Then I smothered the chicken with the aromatic marinade. The marinade is also spread under the chicken skin. I was really giving this chicken a good rub down with both my hands. If anyone had called me or rung my doorbell at this point, sorry, they will be ignored. 

Not a pretty sight. In Terengganu-speak we say "kakang soyok". Sorry, no translation available.

By the way, the chicken is spatchcocked i.e. backbone removed and laid flat like what you see above. Actually I forgot to make an incision in the cartilage of the breastbone and my chicken was not exactly laid flat out. I only realized that when I put it in the oven. The breast was almost touching the roof of the oven.

I had to slide the tray out of the oven to perform surgery when I accidentally grabbed the hot oven rack. Arrrghh..xxxx!!!!! I don't usually use that word but I have been watching Dexter re-runs. Debra Morgan is not exactly a good role model in the conversation department. There were no ice-cubes in the freezer and I had to grab on to something cold. Ah! Chilli sauce bottle! 

Substitute for a cold pack.

Back to business. I used my kitchen scissors to cut through the top of the breastbone and pressed the chicken down to flatten it. Back into the oven. And 40 minutes later, my chicken was done.

While the chicken was resting, I had to prepare the Aji Verde sauce. But hang on a second. The recipe didn't say what kind of basil (Italian?). I only have Vietnamese basil and since the recipe uses mint and cilantro, it can't hurt to use our Asian basil. All my ingredients were in place except for Jalapeno peppers, so there is no chili in my Aji Verde Chilli Sauce.

The recipe uses a little bit of everything and I am not good with little bits. I used more than the recommended amounts (about double) and I have no regrets whatsoever. After transferring the sauce from the blender into a container, I tentatively licked the spatula. Mmmmm!!! I love this green sauce! It smells so refreshing and is salty and tangy. Really lovely, you must try it! Which led to a spatula licking frenzy.

The roasted chicken by itself is already so delicious. Aromatic, spicy and smokey. And dipped in the Aji Verde sauce, it is simply eye-popping. No, I am not exaggerating.  It is really that good. I am actually thinking of making this roast chicken and the green sauce again. Can't get enough of it!

I am sharing the recipe below from Nom Nom Paleo : Food for Humans and if you are interested in exploring delicious Paleo friendly diets, I highly recommend this book. It is a breeze to read as the author, Michelle Tam makes it light and witty. 

As usual, I did not follow the recipe exactly in terms of the amounts used. I upped some favorite ingredients and substituted or omitted those that I did not have on hand. After all, recipes are only a guide, to ensure that you only put about 1/2 a cup of mayonnaise instead of half a jar :) Have fun.

Peruvian Roast Chicken

Recipe source : Adapted from Nom Nom Paleo : Food for Humans (page 202)

My notes and adaptations in red

- 1 whole chicken (4lbs/about 2kg)

Marinade :

- 4 garlic cloves minced

- 3 tablespoons ghee or fat of choice (I used grapeseed oil)

- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (I used sea salt)

- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

- 1 tablespoon ground cumin

- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (I used 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely minced)

- finely grated zest and juice from 1 small lime (I used 2)

Method :

1. To make the marinade, mix all the ingredients together and set aside.

2. Remove the backbone of the chicken and make a 1/2 inch incision in the cartilage of the breast bone.

3. Lay the chicken breast-side up and press it down to flatten the chicken.

4. Using your fingers, separate the skin of the chicken from the breast and thigh to create pockets, making sure not to any holes.

5. Spread the marinade under the skin and rub it all over the outside of the chicken.

6. Marinate the chicken in a covered container in the fridge for 6 to 24 hours (I put the chicken into a big freezer bag and left it in the fridge overnight).

7. About an hour before roasting, take the chicken of the fridge to come to room temperature.

8. Preheat oven to 180C and place a wire rack over a lined baking tray. Set the chicken skin side up on top of the wire rack and tuck the wing tips behind the breasts.

9. Roast for 45 minutes or until the breast meat reaches 150F/66C and the thigh meat hits 170F/77C as measured by an instant-read thermometer. (I just poke the thighs with a fork and if the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked).

10. Take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Aji Verde Chilli Sauce

Recipe source : Adapted from Nom Nom Paleo : Food for Humans (page 202)

My notes and adaptations in red

Ingredients :

- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 3 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped (I omitted)

- 1 scallion (spring onion), roughly chopped

- 1/2 cup Paleo Mayonnaise (I used regular mayonnaise)

- 1/3 cup fresh basil (I used Vietnamese basil)

- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro

- 1/3 cup fresh mint

- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

- 1 teaspoon white vinegar (I omitted)
- 1/2 tsp salt (my addition as it is not mentioned in the recipe)

Method :

1. Gently heat olive oil and garlic in a small cast iron skillet over low heat for 2-3 minutes. (Ooops! I missed this step!)

2. Once the garlic is fragrant and the oil bubbles, take the skillet off the heat and turn off the stove.

3. Blitz all the remaining aji verde chili sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender until well combined. Then add the garlicky oil and blend until smooth.

4. The sauce can be made ahead of time and kept covered in a container in the fridge for a few days.

This post is linked to Cook-Your-Books #17 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.